Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-05-20
HE HAS BEEN HANGED OECE.
A Protest Against the second Hang
ing of citizen OF New Mexico.

NeD York. SIN writes: Friends of The
odore Baker, now confined in the peni-
Tertiary here under the sentence Of
death for the murder Of man in East
Colfax County, In 5 Teri tory, think It
particularly hard that he should be
compelled to mount the gallows. The
Territorial Supreme Court has just
rendered decision in his case Affirm
ing the sentence of death, and fixing
the date of his execution on the 18th OF
this month. The prisoners friends
will see if they cannot get the case be-
fore the United States Supreme Court.
on the ground that Baker has once
been hanged for the crime. and that
the proposal to hang HIM again is in
violation of the Const tut on of the
United States, which declare that u
man shall not be twice put in jeopardy
for the same oflense.
Bakers crime was the Hing OF
Frank Uhruh, Little more than year
ago. Uhruh was surveyor, and
Baker had been asked bv him to keep
a watch upon affairs at Uhruh's ranch
while the latter was absent In this
way Baker and Mrs. Uhruh struck up
an intimacy, which lasted for sons
me. Concerning the denounment
there are conf citing stories. Baker and
the woman say that Uhruh attacked
Baker, and that the shooting was in
selfdefense. Neighboring ranches
assert. however. that the liaison was
notorious, and that Baker and the wo-
man had more than once threatened to
make way with Uhruh. The position
in which the body of the murdered
man was found. and the fact that bull
let-marzs in the wall of the room indi-
Gated that the shooting was all on one
side, and served 10 fix the guilt upon
Baker. The prisoner j. young man Of
more than ordinary intelligence, and
the woman, who is now IN jail at
Springer awaiting trial a. an accessory,
is prepossessing III appearance.
As soon rs Baker was placed under
arrest he was conveyed to Springer.
where he was Sc zed by mob and
lvnched before he could be put in jail.
Murders had been of frequent occur
renee in that vicinity, and it was enough
for the crowd to know that the oifc
had man charged with that crime. 1t
is not probable that one man in ten WHO
participated in the lynching of Bak /
knew an, thing about the crcum-
stances of the crime w IN winch he was
charged. Having hanged HIM in the
regulation style, TO the limb Of tree
and fastened the loose end of the rope
to the trunk, the mob watched the
dangling body for few m nutes and
then left the SpO', d vidIng up among
the various saloons of the town, where
The inc dent created only passing SEN
sation. While the incident was 20 ne
on the sheriff was watch NJ alta r. near
by and - soon as he saw the crowd
dispense he ran quickly to the hanging
form and cut ID down. With the assist
ance of deputy he carried the body 10
the back door of the ia j. and on enter
ing that building and ~ NJ orders not
to be sturbed he proceeded, with the
assistance of a phys elan. to revive his
prisoner. Baker had been hanging by
the neck for ten minutes when he was
cut down, and at least fifteen minutes
more elapsed before the sher fl had him
IN the ia !. All this time the prisoner
was unconsc GUS and apparently lfe-
less. But the sheriff went to work on
i m with great energy. and after half
an hour OF rubbing and the applicat on
internally and externally OF spirits he
was rewarded by seeing the man who
had been hanged open his eyes and
look wonderingly about him. All that
n ght the sheriff never left his charge
for a minute. and by morning of the
next day he had Baker sufficiently re-
vived to breathe with regularity and to
eat in mechanical way some light
food.
Thus far no one in Springer knew Of
the recovery except the Sheriff, his dep
uty and the doctor, and It was decided
that the matter should be kept pro-
found secret until Baker could be re-
moved to Santa Fe for safe keeping.
This was accomplished dur ng the fol-
lowing week. and the man who had
had such strange experience was plac-
ed under the care of competent physi-
clans here. At first Baker could not
talk at all. but gradually his thoughts
became more collected. and on several
occasions he descri bed to visitors, the
SIN correspondent among them. his
sensations as he was hanging from the
limb from which he had been loosely
swung. For six months he suffered in
ttisclN iIOll pains III lHe Htdu ana rom
dizziness. sometimes becoming almost
deranged, being unconscious of h sur
roundings. During these periods he
would live over again his experience ut
a ropes end and on recovering he
would be weak and greatly depressed
in spr Is. On his trial the facts rs to
his previous execution We're ignored,
though half dozen men from Spring
er were present and ready to swear
that the real Baker had been hanged
once for the murder of Uhruh. The
identification of the prs oner was COM
p'ete. of course but no amount of tes-
mony will ever satisfy the Springer
ties that the man now in custody here is
the one they lynched. Among the
most active Fl ends of the prisoner now
are the men who helped to hang him,
and If they have any influence he will
not again 60 to the rope.
Although under the decision of the
Terrifor al Suprpn,a Cnurt 10 or ,,,,st